Category Archives: Sports Photography

Every day is a hustle for young Ghanaians today. Many young people do not have access to a basic education due to the high monthly fees. Many end up working in the informal sector getting paid day-to-day trying to compliment the household income in any way possible. Some still come every day to train after 4 pm to chase their dream of a better life.

Action or sports photography claims the need for expensive camera equipment. Not many of us could either afford or carry heavy camera-sets around. Professional touch and experience is mandatory for usage of high end equipment in event photography. For amateurs, a mobile phone would be good to start with. In some cases, even professional photographers would not have access to their camera sets. Here is a compilation of phone photography tips for action sports.

Be creative about angles:

Sports Illustrated photographers are popular for their creative angles. Their unique and original style was a result of improvised angles. If you are shooting a car racing event, try getting a snap at the windshield, another one at wheels and so on. Try focussing on alternative levels of height. Get on your knees if you want a clear bottom angle. Nobody is against top class variations.

Choose perfect location:

Another technique to boost originality is covering broad range of places around the action. Get a view from court side in indoor games to shoot images of team spirit. Tailgating could be your spot to snap the soccer fans. Be wary of your resolution limits and try not to go too high. Choose the range which stays close to the action.

Don’t check your shots:

When you are done with a single shot, be quick to capture another. Do not check your shots on phone camera after you are done with it. Such an act could bring in two different hassles. Firstly you might miss the whole action, if you keep checking your shots. Secondly you are putting yourself at risk of an injury, if you are close to the place of action.

Always avoid flash:

High level outdoor matches strictly prohibit you from using flash. Some school level matches might allow photo flash; however it’s best to confirm with the coaches and event organizers. Flash causes distraction in the gameplay and it is against the rules in case of outdoor events.

Event photography doesn’t necessarily mean franchise based club games and international tournaments alone. Even a high school soccer match could be covered with such beauty. On another note, the real essence of the photograph comes from photographer and not his equipment.

Extreme activities by professionals and amateurs are a treat to watch. The stunt produces elegant display on 2D and 3D digital representations. Photography is tested on its limits when it is engaged on sports and extreme activities. The challenges within, are numerous and of high magnitude. This field of photography needs several equipment and techniques to work on eliminating the limitations. Sport or extreme activities have several moments that need to be captured at every instant. The camera angle, view and every other setting needs to be adjusted way too quickly to keep track with speed of sport and stunt.

Camera Body:

Camera bodies that support autofocussing and high frame rate is preferred for sports photography. Ideally you would be required to own one with calibre of supporting 8 or more frames per second. Canon EOS-D1 X is among the most popular cameras used in professional sports.

Lenses:

Your lenses should support speedy autofocus performance to ensue you don’t miss out any desirable frame. Telephoto lenses are essential to reach close enough to action. These sorts of lenses enables you to get background go off focus, resulting in preferred subject isolation.

Remote camera:

It is not possible for a photographer to be in every place of action. This is where remote cameras come in to help the issue. Theses cameras could be triggered remotely with mapping shutter devices. This is mandatory for the purpose of ‘start to finish’ photography in sports events.

Tripods:

You may not requite tripod regularly as a sports photographer. Nevertheless it’s good to have one at your disposal for adding extra batteries and stability. A monopod could fit places where tripod doesn’t suit. Tripods and monopods could be essential accessories in track events, horse racing and many more.

Location is the key to sports photography. Closer you get to action; the better gets your quality of photograph. Skills to speed up frames and adjust shutter settings help to prevent blurring or bad exposure. Ability to show motion in single photograph with some blur is the current trend in sports photography. The technique to do so is termed as Strip photography.